Blandford Church and Cemetery

Blandford Church opened in 1737 as the primary church of Bristol Parish, and its north wing was added in 1753. Largely abandoned by 1806, the sanctuary fell into ruin. In 1819 the town of Petersburg acquired the property and adjacent land for use as a public cemetery, enlarging an existing burial ground. Interred here are British Maj. Gen. William Phillips of the Revolutionary War, two governors of VA, and thousands of Confederate dead. A monument honors Capt. Richard McRae and the Petersburg volunteers who won renown during the War of 1812. The local Ladies Memorial Association restored the church as a Confederate memorial and commissioned 15 stained-glass windows from Tiffany Studios in NY.